Hyderabad: The Supreme Court issued directions, on July 27, 2017, for the formation of a committee to prevent the misuse of Section 498(A) of the IPC. Senior advocate Gopal Krishna Kalanidhi says that the Telugu states are deliberately ignoring those directions. At least 24 victims from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are fighting for justice as station house officers refuse to entertain their complaints and register FIRs under Section 498(A). The officers say that committees to oversee these complaints have yet to be constituted and trained.
The Rajesh Sharma committee is supposed to examine all complaints lodged by persons claiming to be the victims of marital offences such as domestic violence. The SC has directed committees to only allow cases to be registered if there is any prima faci evidence. The Supreme Court has also directed police officers and the home departments of state to constitute these committees and have them trained. However, no committees have been constituted so far, which puts the officers in contempt of court, according to Mr Kalanidhi.
“The judiciary and police systems of the two Telugu states have totally failed with respect to the victims of marital offences. I previously demanded appointment of civil district judges across the state as primary judicial officers to oversee the complaints presented before the station house officers and to endorse them as maintainable,” Mr Kalanidhi says.
He adds that he also asked for complaints endorsed as maintainable to immediately be registered and investigated by the police. “Though my demand reached the Supreme Court and it directed the home departments state to constitute the special committees, those directions have deliberately been neglected by the Telugu states, because of which many victims are struggling to receive justice. The guidelines issued by the SC have been a boon for the police; they are bargaining with victims and the accused while registering cases.” “I demand that the SC immediately review the Sharma judgement to ensure that the victims under section 498(A) receive justice,” he added.
